First trip to India starting in Dehli

Hello, I have only recently found this site. My girlfriend and I are going to Delhi on 1 August we plan on leaving Delhi around mid December. We are not in a hurry and would like to see as much as possible without killing ourselves. The rough plan is Uttaranchal, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh Dehli. I am looking at a variety of travel books and web sites to assemble a rough plan. If anyone has Time, We could certainly use information. We would like to know the "must sees" and the "never does" of India. Thank You for any informationWe are looking forward to your responses

Feel free to upload /email your itinerary and I'll be happy to give you pointers and relevant info. Your itinerary right now looks very interesting. Here's a brief must-see list for each state you mentioned.

Ladakh: perfect in August and such a contrast from the rest of India that you can't miss it. It's also not as overwhelming as the rest of India so it's a good place to start.

Himachal Pradesh: McLeod Ganj is great. Nice place to relax for a a week or so and there are lots of things you can do, like learn yoga, take cooking courses and learn about Tibetan history and culture. Shimla is also a nice town for a couple days, and you will inevidably spend some time in Manali. Personally the town was a lowlight of the himalayas but makes a great transit point.

Rajasthan: The whole state is a highlight really, but Jaisalmer, Udaipur and Udaipur are up there as my highlights of the country. But also don't miss Jodhpur and Jaipur. Bikaner is also worth a stop between Rajasthan and Amritsar

Uttar Pradesh: While the Taj Mahal is a must see of course, the real highlight of Utter Pradesh is Varanasi. In my opinion this city is the highlight of India and an absolute must see. Khajuraho and Orchha are also definetly worthwhile stops, Khajuraho for the temple, and Orchha for being the most laid back town in the country.

You didn't mention the South, but I think it would be a shame to miss Kerela and Karnataka. In Kerela, Cochin, the backwaters and Varkala are fantastic. In Karnataka, Msyore is worth visiting, and Hampi is an absolute must see of the country. And of course, by the end of your 4 months, you'll want to spend some time relaxing in Goa. Palolem was one of my favorite beaches in the world, and Arambol was not too bad. But while he beaches are the main reason for going to Goa, don't forget to spend a bit of time in Panaji and Old Goa.

Stay away from Uttaranchal and HP before end-October as the mountains will be getting the monsoon rains. If you want to really set a record, go to Mawsynram in Meghalaya during the rains - it is currently the wettest place on earth! For the rest, you can rely on LONELY PLANET.

I would like to thank everyone for their informationAs it stands right now our plan is as followsDelhi, Chandigarth, Amristar(we have concerns so we may change course)Dharamsala, Mandi, Manali, Vashisht (depending on information) Mandi, Shimla, Delhi, Agra, Bharatpur, Alwar, Jaipur,Bikaner,Jodhpur,Udaipur,Mt Abu, Surat, Ajanta, Lonar, Aurangabad,Ellora, Mumbi, Ganpatipule, Goa(open to suggestions)palolem, Gokarn, Jog Falls,(Depends on time and resources for Kerala) Hampi...Kanha National Park, Bandhavgarh Natinal Park,Satna, Khanjuraho, Orchha,Datia, Varanasi, Lucknow, Delhithis of course is a rough idea based on some of the things we would like to see and do. if their should be some changes based on experience please let us know.Thank you again.Michael